What size matters: the changing patterns of the agricultural landscape in Minorca in the Medieval and Modern period

Team member: Retamero, Fèlix
Period of research: Medieval - Modern

A new agrarian order resulted from the Arab and Berber peasant migrations to the Balearic Islands starting in AD 902. The construction of irrigation systems was the most conspicous manifestation of the new agricultural practices observed in the landscape. These irrigated fields represent an adaptative measure for the introduction of a wide range of new cultivars and, above all, a principal means of coping with risk and stabilising the social order. In the case of Minorca, both archaeological survey and a thorough study of irrigated and non-irrigated fields linked to the Andalusi settlements have allowed us to discern the main patterns of this peasant colonisation of the island, from the early 10th century to the feudal conquest in 1287. The regular size of these fields in different areas of the island and in Mallorca and Ibiza is probably the most notable pattern. In addition, this research has included the evolution of agricultural practices and their impact on the landscape during the late medieval and modern periods. The resulting evidence makes it possible to explain the different ways of managing the landscape in different periods, as well investigating the relationships between the organisation of peasant work, settlement patterns, the selection of species, and peasants’ resilience and ability to cope with risk.

1. Sweet corn in an irrigated field documented in the 13th century (Ferreries. Minorca)

2. Modern water-lifting wheel in an irrigated plain documented in the 13th century (Maó. Minorca)